Sam Kerr’s remarkable marksmanship for Chelsea has hit a fresh peak as she snaffled another hat-trick to power the Women’s Super League champions to a 6-0 victory over Birmingham City.
The Australia captain, fresh from scoring in the Blues’ Champions League midweek triumph over Wolfsburg, netted her treble at Chelsea’s Kingsmeadow home all before halftime on Sunday to propel herself to the top of the WSL scoring charts.
When she headed home her hat-trick goal powerfully just before the break, it took her tally of league goals to 17, while making it 23 in all competitions.
Such has been Kerr’s irresistible run that she’s now scored 10 and assisted on two more in her last six matches, which all bodes well for her Matildas’ side as they prepare for their return to international action next Saturday.
The Australians will play Germany next Saturday and then take on the Netherlands on the following Tuesday and their skipper will doubtless be hoping her rip-roaring form can also see her add to 42 international goals.
While Kerr had the luxury of being rested just after the hour by manager Emma Hayes, it was only a signal for her strike partner Fran Kirby to take centre stage.
The England international scored two second-half goals as the remarkable ‘Special K’ pair brought their combined total for the season in all competitions to 44.
Kerr first demonstrated her sharpness in the 25th minute after Birmingham’s goalkeeper Hannah Hampton had parried a shot from Erin Cuthbert to her left only for the Australian to snap up the loose ball and crack home from a narrow angle.
Kerr missed out on a couple of chances soon after, shooting wide with a serious miscue and heading just over from a Pernille Harder cross.
Yet she struck twice more in the space of two minutes just before halftime, first reacting quickest again to nod home a 45th minute rebound after Pernille Harder’s header had hit the bar.
In first-half stoppage time, Kerr then showed more desire than anyone to get on the end of Cuthbert’s free-kick to power in another header into the corner and complete her third hat-trick of the season.
After the break, the double from Kirby, who scored a superb solo effort in stoppage time, and another from Guro Reiten cemented the easiest of wins as Chelsea stayed top of the league with just three matches remaining.
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